Medical applicator



April 14, 1970 Q M HUCK 3,506,008

MEDICAL APPLICATOR Filed March 25, 1968 INVENTOR 2f/Imis M. /ac/f ATTORNEY.

United States Patent O 3,506,008 MEDICAL APPLICATOlR .p Charles M. Huck, Bound Brook, NJ., assignor to Ortho v Pharmaceutical Corporation, a corporation of New Jersey Filed Mar. 25, 1968, Ser. No. 715,784 Int. lCl. A61m 35/ 00 U.S. Cl. 12S-261 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A prelled syringe type applicator wherein the plunger is hollow and is initially telescopically and disengageably disposed over the ejector tip thus serving to seal and protect the same. A plug capable of doubling as a leader for the plunger is slidably mounted at the open end of the medicament reservoir. The plunger when disengaged from the ejector tip is engageable with the outward facing end of the plug to thus provide an applicator ready for use.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Prior art For many medical reasons it is necessary or desirable to apply various medicaments to body cavities. In order to provide a simple method of applying the medicament with a minimum of unpleasantness, the medicaments are often applied with a syringe type applicator. Most often the patient purchases the syringe preiilled with the medicament which has been prescribed at the desired dosage level.

Conventional applicators of this type have a plastic body portion, one end of which constitutes a medicament reservoir and the other end of which is tapered to relatively small diameter and constitutes an ejector tip. A plunger, the leading end of which is of only slightly smaller diameter than the medicament reservoir, is telescopically mounted within the reservoir, thus sealing one end of the applicator. The end of the ejector tip is breakably sealed. When the time has come to apply the medica ment, the user breaks the seal at the end of the ejector tip, inserts the ejector tip into the body cavity to which the medicament is to be applied, and presses the plunger to force the medicament out the open end of the ejector tip.

Deficiencies of the prior art The above described syringe-type applicators have a number of inherent deciencies. First, such a syringe is not easily adaptable to more than one use since once the ejector tip seal is broken and a portion of the medicament applied, no means is provided to reseal the partially emptied syringe for storage until the medicament is again needed. This may result in a waste of expensive medicament, and, if makeshift sealing is attempted, may result in inadvertent ejection of the medicament during storage. Too much pressure on the plunger during transportation or storage prior to initial use may cause the ejector tip seal to break prematurely, thus resulting in unsalable goods, in the case of the distributor and retailer, or wasted medicament anda messy condition in the case of the user.

Secondly, these conventional syringe-type applicators consisting of the plunger, medicament reservoir, and ejector tip consecutively arranged, are of substantial length and thus not adaptable to eiiicient and compact packaging or storage. These applicators are also not readily adaptable to being carried in a discrete manner by the patient for use outside of the home.

Patented Apr. 14, 1970 ice THE INVENTION (IN GENERAL) Now, in accordance with this invention, there is provided a preiilled syringe-type applicator of medicament which eliminates to a large degree the above-noted deticiencies of presently available syringe-type applicators.

The applicator of this invention comprises an elongated body portion open at both ends and having an integrally jointed iirst section and second section the lirst section being of relatively uniform cross section and constituting a medicament reservoir which is, in fact, iilled with medicament, and the second section constituting an ejector tip. The applicator also comprises a plug which at its point of largest cross section dimension is of the same shape as and only slightly smaller than the inside of the medicament reservoir. This plug is slidably disposed within the medicament reservoir at its open end thus acting to seal the same. The applicator further comprises a hollow plunger the iirst end of which is open, the inner dimensions of which are of larger size than the outer dimensions of the ejector tip and the outer dimensions of which are of smaller size than the inner dimensions of the medicament reservoir so that the plunger can be and is telescopically mounted over the ejector tip. The inner surface of the marginal end portion of the ejector tip carries a series of fastening elements. The second end of the plunger has a centrally located inward projection of similar shape as and of only slightly smaller size than the inner dimensions of the marginal end portion of the ejector tip. This projection carries a series of fastening elements which are complementary with and in fact engaged with the fastening elements on the inner surface of the marginal end portion of the ejector tip; the projection acting as a plug for the ejector tip. The outward facing end of the plug and the Open end of the plunger also have complementary fastening elements so that the plunger may be secured to the end of the plug.

By virtue of the construction in which the plunger is initially telescopically mounted over the ejector tin, a syringe-type medicament applicator is provided which is more compact and thus more readily stored and discreetly carried than prior art applicators.

By virtue of the projection within the plunger acting as a plug for the ejector tip and by virtue of the complementary fastening means carried by the projection and the inner surface of the end of the ejector tip, any messy or inconvenient seal breaking prior to application of the medicament is eliminated. When the medicament is to be used the plunger is simply unfastened from the ejector tip to open the same and to allow the medicament to flow from the applicator when the plug is activated. By virtue of these same features, the applicator of this invention may be used for a plurality of measured doses since the end of the ejector tip may be sealedfagain mounting the plunger over the tip and engaging the fastening elements.

By virtue of the plunger being mounted over the ejector tip, the tip, which is to 'be inserted into the body cavity, is protected from gross contamination by bacteria during storage. In addition, since the ejector tip fastening elements are located on the inner surface of the same, the outer surface remains smooth and thus n0n-abrasive. The invention will be better understood by reference to the attached drawings and the description of the same which follows:

In the drawings FIGURE l is a View in perspective of one prototype of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a cross section of the applicator illustrated in FIGURE l taken along lines 2 2;

FIGURE 3 illustrates in cross section the applicator of FIGURES l and 2 when the same is ready for use;

FIGURE 4 illustrates in cross section this same applicator in use.

Referring now to FIGURES l and 2, the applicator l comprises an elongated -body portion 2 of circular cross section and open at both ends. The elongated body portion 2 in turn consists of first section 3 and second section 4 integrally joined by central section 15. The rst section 3 constitutes a medicament reservoir which is in fact filled with medicament 5. The second section of the body portion 4 constitutes the ejector tip through which the medicament is applied. In general, the ejector tip 4 will, as illustrated, have a substantially smaller diameter than the medicament reservoir 3. As illustrated, the body portion of the applicator is made of a molded plastic by techniques Well-known in the art, however, any suitable material may be utilized. Likewise, the elongated body portion is of circular cross section, however, as is apparent, the shape of the body portion is not critical to the invention.

The applicator 1 also comprises a rubber plug 6 having a maximum diameter which is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the medicament reservoir 3. The rubber plug 6 is slidably disposed in the open end of the medicament reservoir 3 th-us acting to seal the same. While as illustrated, the plug 6 is made of rubber, it may also be made of inert plastic or any other suitable, relatively inert, nontoxic material.

The applicator 1 further comprises a hollow molded plastic plunger 7 having open end 8 and closed end 9. The plunger 7 has an inner diameter greater than the outer diameter of the ejector tip 4 and an outer diameter less than the inner diameter of the medicament reservoir 3. In the preferred embodiment illustrated the compactness of the applicator is maximized by making the inner diameter of the plunger 7 only slightly greater than the outer diameter of the ejector tip 4 and the outer diameter of the plunger 7 only slightly less than the inner diameter of the medicament reservoir 3. The plunger 7 is telescopically mounted over the ejector tip 4, the ejector tip and the plunger being of substantially the same length.

The inner surface 17 of the marginal end portion of the ejector tip 7 contains a series of threads 10 integrally molded therein. The closed end 9 of the plunger contains an inward projection 11 having a diameter only slightly less than the inner diameter of the marginal end portion of the ejector tip and having a series of threads 12 integrally molded in the outer surface of the same. These threads 12, carried by the projection 11, are engaged with the threads carried by the ejector tip 4. Thus, the projection 11 acts as a plug for the ejector tip 4 thus preventing medicament from passing outward from the same. While as illustrated the fastening means on the outer surface of projection 11 and the inner surface 17 of the ejector tip 4 are intermeshing threads, any complementary fastening means which may be easily engaged and disengaged may be utilized.

The outward facing end of the plug 6 has a portion 13 having a diameter only slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the plunger 7. Thus, the plunger 7 when it is disengaged from its telescopic mounting over the ejector tip 4 may be inserted over and engaged With the end 13 of the plug 6 as shown in FIGURE 3. While as illustrated in FIGURE 3 the connection between the plug and the plunger is merely by virtue of relative shapes and sizes of the two members, any conventional and suitable fastening means may be provided.

Referring now to FIGURES 3 and 4, when it is desired to apply the medicament, the plunger 7 is unscrewed from its position with respect to ejector tip 4 and is inserted over the end 13 of the plug 6, so that the plunger is in effective position to activate the plug 6 and force the medicament 5 in the case illustrated, a vaginal cream, outward from the ejector tip 4.

In order to most elliciently dispense the medicament it is preferable that a portion of the plug 6 have a shape as illustrated which is essentially the same as that of the inner surface of the central section 1S and adjacent portions 14 and 16 of the ejector tip 4 and medicament reservoir 3. Thus, when the plunger is fully depressed as shown in FIGURE 4, a maximum amount of the medicament will have been ejected from the applicator.

While particular embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it is not intended to restrict the invention to those specific embodiments. Rather, the broad inventive concept as set out earlier is to be restricted only by the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An applicator comprising a hollow elongated body portion open at both ends and having an integrally joined first section and second section,

the first section being of relatively uniform cross section and constituting a medicament reservoir which is in fact filled with medicament, the second section constituting an ejector tip,

the applicator also comprising a plug which at its point of largest cross sectional dimension is of the same `shape as and only slightly smaller than the inside of the medicament reservoir, the plug being slidably disposed within the medicament reservoir at its open end thus acting to seal the same,

the applicator still further comprising a hollow plunger,

the rst end of which is open, the inner dimensions of which are of larger size than the outer dimensions of the ejector tip and the outer dimensions of which are of smaller size than the inner dimensions of the medicament reservoir so that the plunger can be and is telescopically mounted over the ejector tip,

the inner surface of the marginal end portion of the ejector tip carrying a series of fastening elements and the second end of the plunger having a centrally located inward projection of similar shape as and of only slightly smaller size than the inner dimensions of the marginal end portion of the ejector tip, the projection carrying a series of fastening elements which are complementary with and in fact engaged with the fastening elements on the inner surface of the marginal end portion of the ejector tip, the projection acting as a plug for the ejector tip,

the outward facing end of the plug and the open end of the plunger also having complementary fastening elements so that the plunger may be secured to the end of the plug When the medicament is to be applied.

2. The applicator of claim 1 in which said elongated body portion and said plunger are generally of circular cross section and in which the plug at at least its point of largest cross sectional dimension is of circular cross section,

said ejector tip having a diameter less than the diameter of the medicament reservoir, the inner diameter of the plunger being only slightly greater than the outer diameter of the ejector tip, and the outer diameter of the plunger being only slightly less than the inner diameter of the medicament reservoir.

3. The applicator of claim 2 in which the fastening elements on the inner surface of the marginal end portion of the ejector tip and the fastening elements on the outer surface of the inward projection of the plunger being intermeshing threads integrally molded into the respective components.

4. The applicator of claim 3 in which the outward facing end of the plug has a portion having a diameter only slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the plunger so that the plunger may be engaged with the plug by positioning the open end of the Plunger over the plug.

5. The rapplicator of claim 4 in which the elongated body portion additionally comprises a central section integrally connecting said lirst section with said second section, and in which the plug has a shape which is essentially the same as that of the inner surface of the central section of the elongated body portion and the immediately adjacent portions of the ejector tip and the medicament reservoir.

6 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS ADELE M. EAGER, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 

